Cooking with Fire: From Roasting on a Spit to Baking in a Tannur, Rediscovered Techniques and Recipes That Capture the Flavors of Wood-Fired Cooking

When was the last time you really read a cookbook from cover to cover???? Well, Cooking with Fire is guaranteed to draw you in and make you think, "Gosh, maybe I should build a roasting hearth in my backyard even though I've never wanted one!!!" Obviously, the author, Paula Marcoux has researched this topic thoroughly. Additionally, however, she is able to convey the history of cooking with fire in an easy going, folksy manner, while intermingling mildly snarky and witty comments and yet remaining incredibly articulate and erudite. This proves true and is consistent throughout the book on all topics from Toasting Cheese to the more complex Twine-Roast Leg of Lamb to Building the Oven!!. A previous reviewer criticized such simple recipes like how to toast a marshmallow. Well, it seems to me, the reviewer missed the point of the recipe which is that learning how to really toast a marshmallow provides you with the basic knowledge and understanding for many other more complex recipes about cooking with fire. Seriously, after reading the section on How to Make an Efficient and Pleasant Roasting Hearth, I could not stop thinking about where and when I could build one myself. It just all made so much sense!!! So, be prepared to be drawn into this beautifully photographed, well written and researched cookbook. You will not be disappointed.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Paula, a veteran of Plymouth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, MA, has done an amazing job, documenting, and, bringing to life, techniques, and recipes, from centuries past. The photographs alone, are worth the purchase of the book. It is an absolutely amazing journey she takes us on, with images, vivid descriptions, and, step by step instructions communicating, and guiding the reader on how to recreate, how, people once cooked, What was once the most common of methods, which yielded, spectacular, results. The book is an invitation, on joining her, and rediscovering something we thought we knew so well.

While I tend to go straight to the recipes and pictures in cookbooks, I actually couldn't stop READING "cooking with fire". It is a fun, fascinating,and enlightening read. I'm certainly not a food historian, but this book made me think about food in a completely different way. This book DOES have great, mouthwatering recipes, and gorgeous pictures, but this is the first cookbook I would buy as a gift for someone because it reads so well. The author Paula Marcoux has a distinct and engaging voice that you want to spend more time with. This book will help any outdoor cooking, from barbecue to fire pit, and would make a terrific gift for anyone who camps, goes to the beach, toasts marshmallows, grills meat, and likes to try something new. If you love food, you will love this book, which will make you laugh, think, and get wicked hungry!

Had pleasure to see author demonstrate recipes from this book, and have given as a gift. Really amazing. Try the grill-top baklava. In person Paula gave a lot of interesting historical context for these that was sometimes missing in the book. Hence the 4 stars. But, a great book to think differently about open fire/ grill cooking.

I ordered this book because I had heard such great things about its author, Paula Marcoux, who is well-known in the Northeast. The book is better than I even expected. Not only does it have fantastic recipes, but the photography is simply gorgeous. The book is also chock full of practical information as well, which was very helpful. Although we only cook with fire during the summer months, the cookbook is actually useful throughout the year, because many of the recipes are easy enough to adapt to an oven or stove top. I highly recommend this book and have encouraged my family and friends to make an investment in it as well.

this book is awesome is not only beautiful looking. its colorful and does a great display at your kitchen great ideas on how to built different types of outdoor ovens, cooking pits, rotisserie style cooking. for one thing I think if run out of gas or the electricity goes out this book is your salvations. or simply you can gain knowledge when you go camping to built stuff.

I saw the author on “Man, Food, Fire” . It was one of the best episodes I had seen. I was curious about her because I love food and archeology. She explains things well. I love the plans and recipes. The author is quite clear. One of my favorite books.

Cooking With Fire is an amazing book. It's not a cookbook really, or a history of humankind's relationship with fire, food, and cooking, really, or a riff on what can happen when you decide to cook something over a fire, really, or some fascinating glimpses into other cultures and eons and what they cooked and how; it is all of these things and more. This book is truly a treasure. It is extremely well written, funny and enjoyable on many levels. Ms. Marcoux has boundless enthusiasm for her subject and she conveys it admirably. Now I have to go back to selecting rocks and laying them for the neolithic fire pit I am building in my yard. If you only buy one book this year, buy this one.

Yes, there are recipes in this book. But the author - Paula Marcoux - is a his historian, and approaches "Cooking with Fire" mainly from that angle. As I do appreciate to know the story behind things, this appeals a lot to me! There's a lot to read and learn in this colourful book!

Wonderful book that overdelivers by covering the subject at hand so well and so thoroughly. Fascinating information throughout and charmingly written to boot!

Great book…. Inspirational

This is a good book and very interesting. A good read and background to cooking techniques. Well researched as well.

Excellent livre, très détaillé, et avec un plan "progressif" facile à comprendre qui facilite la maitrise du feu dans l'ordre